With broad research interests focused on field techniques in aquatic,
climate, Quaternary and astrobiological sciences, Dr. Doran has
conducted more than ten field seasons in the Canadian High Arctic and at
last count about twenty in the Antarctic in this pursuit.

Specific research areas include modern hydrological and
biogeochemical processes in polar lake systems, and the use of this
modern calibration in paleoenvironmental reconstruction, paleolimnology
and sedimentology of perennially ice-covered Antarctic lakes, problems
in Quaternary dating in the Antarctic dry valleys, biogeochemistry of
deeply ice-covered lakes, physical controls on and ecological impact of
persistent lake ice covers, modern controls on carbon isotopic
signatures in lacustrine systems, and the use of the dry valleys as
analogs to help in the search for evidence of extant or extinct life on
other worlds. He has also conducted research in microclimatology of
polar regions using automated weather stations. This research has been
mostly connected to defining the climate controls on ice covers and
modeling of polar lake systems. He also has an interest in subglacial
environments.

Interests in global change and communicating science lead to Dr. Doran be named a Leopold Fellow in 2008 by Standford University's Woods Institute for the Environment.